Walking Through Fire
by Notinmyhead
Summary: And just like that, Eliza realised that she would walk through fire just to be able to tell Arizona Robbins that she loved her. Two-shot inspired by 13x23.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, people of earth and beyond. I watched 13x23 on my laptop and, for a brief moment in time, I seriously considered throwing my laptop across the Atlantic Ocean to hit Shonda Rhimes in the face with it. But I didn't, and I want that noted.**

 **So instead, I binge-wrote this at 3am during exam time. I've seen one or two similar to this one, but I wanted to add my own take on it. There will be a part two, I think. Maybe after exams, which end in a week. Pray for me. Or you know, wish for me to go to hell. I don't think it makes much difference at this point anyway. I'm screwed.**

 **Anyway, rambling aside, I hope you enjoy! Happy Existing!**

All she could smell was smoke.

For the second time in her life, all Arizona could smell was the stale, overwhelming smell of the smoke that cascaded through every crack in every door and through every particle of the air she was struggling to breathe. She could see, blurrily, the orange glare of the flames that danced on, refusing to be tamed, condemned to die into ashes.

How had the perfect day gone so badly?

She had started the morning in the arms of the woman, who, as she realised as she lay in the rubble, that she loved. And in that moment, despite her daughter being on the other side of the country, despite the secret nature of her relationship with Eliza, she had felt purely and blissfully happy. The kind of happy that made outsiders want to puke as they watched the cliché new couple moments roll on.

She had to get out of here. She knew she did. As a doctor, she could recite a lengthy list of all the prolonged effects of smoke exposure. Callie had recited the same list on the rare occasions that Arizona would hold a lighter to a cigarette and allow her stress to float away like the smoke in the night air. She was just regaining consciousness and she had no idea how long she'd been out.

However, as soon as she tried to move her legs, she realised that smoke inhalation was not her only problem. She glanced down at her left leg, which was sticking out at a strange angle where she knew the metal joint that replaced her knee was. It had completely popped out of the socket, and there wasn't anything that she could do about it. Her arm felt like it was on fire and she could tell she was going to be dealing with some pretty nasty burns.

Silently cursing the fact that the paediatric floor was the second from top, she began to ever so gracefully bum-shuffle across the floor, carefully avoiding the hot pieces of rubble that surrounded her. There was no sign of anyone- patient or parent or staff. She hoped with all her heart that they had made it out as soon as the call for evacuation had been sent out, because she had no time to stop. The physical exertion was exhausting her already.

She forced back the bile that was threatening its way up her throat, which was burning from lack of oxygen. She continued to pull herself along, her arms aching and her muscles screaming in protest. She needed to get to the nearest staircase- there was no way that the elevators would switched on. She felt a sickening stab of de ja vu- she remembered the day of the shooting, being able to do very little as Ruby's condition deteriorated, and they weren't allowed to move from the floor.

Reaching the top of the nearest stairwell, she stopped on the first step and took a minute to catch her breath. She held her hands out in front of her, using them as a focal point, trying to focus her blurring vision. Her breath was coming in uneven, ragged gasps. She felt as though she were back in the woods, when a clear breath had been a rare relief from the pressure in her chest. She knew she wouldn't make it to the bottom of the stairs, and out of the hospital. Not without two working legs and a sufficient oxygen supply.

She closed her eyes, laid her head in her hands, and prayed.

The chaos reigning outside was the utmost contrast to the almost silent roar of flames inside. People were screaming, crying for loved ones. Doctors were running around, barking orders at each other and firefighters were barrelling in to the burning building without a second thought about their own lives.

Eliza Minnick stood frozen on the spot, looking fearfully up at the explosion zone. From the outside, she could see that the explosion had taken over the third and fourth floors, but she could only imagine the damage that the force had caused, the smoke that must be spreading rapidly through the building.

She couldn't find Arizona. She had combed the crowds, scanning each and every single face in sight. She knew her efforts were futile- the explosion had been on the third floor, from what she could decipher from the rushed words of the fire crew, and she knew without a doubt that Arizona would have been in the NICU, on the fourth floor. She knew how selfless Arizona was- she would have waited until every single patient was evacuated, checking and double checking the floor to guarantee it was empty before she even thought about leaving. She knew it was probable that Arizona had been caught in the explosion.

Ever since she was a teenager, she never had much of a track record with relationships. Even after high school, all through college and med school, her focus had always been on her career. Sure, there had been casual dates and drunken one night stands with no strings attached, but getting her medical degree and pursuing orthopaedic surgery had always been at the forefront of her mind. Once she became a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, sports medicine had taken her interest. And finally, after spending so much time learning all she could, she decided to focus on teaching what she had to teach. To give back.

When she came to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, she kept her mind focused on the task at hand- teaching the interns and residents, making improvements to the resident programme. She refused to be thrown off by the attendings, who were forming somewhat of an uprising against her. She understood it, they were trying to protect Richard Webber, but it wasn't her fault. She was just doing her job. So, she kept a smile on her face and went about her job, allowing nothing to stand in her way.

And then along came Arizona Robbins, all blue-eyed and dimples-popping. The first time Eliza saw her, across the table during the first meeting with the attendings all those weeks ago, she knew she had to get to know this woman. This woman who was so fiercely loyal toward Richard Webber that it had been a challenge just to get her to agree to casual drinks. Arizona Robbins, who she could see was sad, and all she wanted to do was make her smile, and God, did she have a beautiful smile.

She found herself standing stock still, not able to move from that spot. Her mind was thinking the worst, it always was. That Arizona was in there, trapped, and alone.

"Dr Minnick?"

Of all the people she thought would approach her at a time like this, Richard Webber was not one of those people. She looked up at him, her eyebrows raised, before looking back up at the building. "Dr Webber." She greeted him, her words careful. She respected the older surgeon, she really did, although some of the other doctors at Grey Sloan would rather paint the image that she was a monster with no respect for the history that radiated off the hospital walls. According to Arizona, he had been warming up to the idea of their relationship, but he wasn't completely there yet.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and genuinely at that. He could see that the brunette surgeon had a war of her own going on inside her head. He felt what was the start of a newfound respect for Eliza Minnick- and if she made Arizona smile, then she couldn't be too bad.

"Do you care?" She spat, before bringing her hand up to her forehead in regret, turning towards Richard with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap, it's just…" She trailed off, at a loss for words to describe how she felt.

Richard nodded. "She's in there." He finished for her, looking up at the destruction zone. Who he now considered to be his best friend was in that building. There was a remote possibility that she could be outside, out of sight, but he knew that the universe wasn't that kind. "And you love her."

"I do." Eliza said softly, before straightening up, a look of surprise forming on her face, and then horror. "I do! Oh, my God, I do! She's in there!" She exclaimed, her voice rising. And before she knew it, she was running. Not away from the flames like any sane person would do, but head first towards the hospital. She barged past security guards, not listening to the words of warning that they gave.

Meredith Grey walked up to Richard, who watched Eliza run off without a further word. "Is she crazy? What the hell does she think she's doing?"

Richard shrugged. "Rescuing the woman she loves." He said simply.

Inside, Eliza held her breath as she ran. She needed to avoid breathing in as much smoke as she could. Her years on the track team at school were paying off, as she remembered her coach's breathing tips, on how to gain more oxygen when doing so seemed impossible.

Up and up she went, barrelling through heavy doors and hammering up the stairs, searching for any signs of the blonde surgeon whose presence she craved the most. It was beginning to become hard to breathe as her lungs were filled with smoke, but she powered on, refusing to leave Arizona behind. She pushed past rubble- pieces of wall and chips of stairwell- fighting, against all of her body's protestations, up more steps.

As she rounded the corner before the last lot of twelve stairs, she fought the urge to cry in relief when she saw Arizona sitting, slouched over, at the top. She could see from here that the blonde was unconscious, and that her prosthetic leg was completely out of place. She ran up the final stairs, grabbing Arizona's shoulders and shaking the foetal surgeon hard. "Arizona!" She yelled, but to no response.

Without a further thought, she carefully picked the blonde surgeon up and slung her over her shoulder in the fireman's hold. She knew her sudden strength was due to adrenaline.

The journey down was just as exerting as the journey up. Now with added weight and even less oxygen, Eliza found herself gasping for breath, her vision becoming hazy and her footsteps slowing.

"Over here!"

She turned on the spot to see a sight she had never been so thankful for in her life. A fireman, suited from head to toe in fire retardant gear and accompanied by a tank of oxygen, was standing by the door through which she had entered, and she realised, with a sigh of relief, that she had made it to the bottom.

"Oh thank God." She spluttered, almost falling into his arms. He carefully removed Arizona from her shoulders and allowed her to lean on him as he guided her the few short feet out of the building, and into the welcoming night air, which at that moment was the greatest thing she had ever experienced. Now free from the smoke and gas fumes, she took several long, ragged breaths before jumping into doctor mode.

"She needs oxygen right away, we have no idea how long she's been out! Get someone from plastics, she has what looks like some nasty partial thickness burns on her left arm, looks to be full thickness at some points. She'll need an ortho consult, I want that leg checked out!" She yelled sternly. She was fully aware that she was an orthopaedic surgeon, but she was currently having oxygen masks shoved in her own face so she wasn't exactly fit to help her herself.

However, she was cut off from barking instructions when a pair of arms engulfed her. She had no idea whose body was so close to hers, giving her a bone-crushing hug. She hesitantly hugged the person back even though she didn't know who it was.

Eventually, the person drew back and the relieved face of Alex Karev was revealed. Over his shoulder, she could see just about every one of the attendings that had been so avidly boycotting her over the last two months, all looking at her not with their usual disgust, but neutrally, some even surprised. "Thank you. We can't lose Robbins." He said plainly, looking over Eliza's shoulder at Arizona, who was being loaded into the ambulance. From what Eliza could see, she was one of the last patients left to be taken away.

Alex gave her a sort of half smile and walked away from her. Eliza hadn't had many encounters with him before, but Arizona had told her the stories. Of how she taught him everything she knew, watched him become a great surgeon and person. Once he walked away, the rest of the attendings took the cue to disperse, some seeing to the remaining patients and some hopping in the back of ambulance to be transported to Seattle Pres. Meredith Grey, however, stayed back, looking Eliza up and down, taking in the other surgeon's presence entirely.

Eliza stood there patiently, as if waiting for the other surgeon to say something. When she continued to remain stoically silent, however, she found herself growing impatient. The rig with Arizona in it was leaving in a matter of minutes. "Can I help you, Dr Grey?" She asked, removing the oxygen mask from her face. She didn't need it anymore, really, but it was comforting to her.

Meredith took a few more seconds to appraise the other surgeon. Admittedly, she felt some guilt over being so quick to judge the other surgeon. Someone who was willing to run head first into a building to save who Meredith considered to be a dear friend was obviously not as bad a person as she had made her out to be. She was immensely grateful in that moment for Eliza Minnick, because this hospital could not lose Arizona Robbins. No one could.

"Do you love her?" She asked simply.

Eliza smiled, glad to be able to say it out loud for the second time that evening. "I do. I love her." She said, a thousand-watt smile spreading across her face.

"Normally, I would expect this to come from Alex, or Webber, or hell, even DeLuca. But I'm just gonna say it. Arizona has been through serious shit in the past few years. We were in a plane crash together, and it's just the two of us left here out of the six that got on that plane. She can't take any more loss. You hurt her, I hurt you." Meredith stated firmly, before walking away, leaving Eliza to stand there in wonder. She didn't contemplate, though, as she was ushered into the back of the rig that was starting to move.

The ride to Seattle Pres was uneventful. Arizona's vitals were stable, and although she remained unconscious, her pupils were both reactive and she was breathing on her own, even if it was laboured. Her left arm had been temporarily bandaged and her prosthetic leg had been removed. Eliza quickly threw the blanket over Arizona's exposed shortened limb- she knew how private a person the blonde was when it came to the leg.

She should contact Arizona's parents, Eliza thought, as they unloaded Arizona from the ambulance in a gurney. She walked alongside them, not letting her eyes avert from her girlfriend for a single second. She reached into Arizona's lab coat pocket and was glad to find her flower-case clad phone still intact, if not low on charge.

Once Arizona had been settled in to a trauma room, Eliza took up the spot beside her bed. She took Arizona's hand in hers and squeezed it tight, her heart aching at the thought of how close she had come to loosing this amazing person. Taking a deep breath, she copied her girlfriend's parent's number into her own phone and pressed call.

A friendly female voice answered within two rings. "Arizona, sweetie! How are you doing?" Barbara Robbins asked eagerly. Arizona used to call them every week and they would talk for hours, but ever since Callie had moved with Sofia to New York, Barbara had noticed that her daughter's phone calls became less frequent and more detached. She worried for her daughter, she truly did.

Eliza took a deep breath. "Mrs Robbins? I'm Eliza Minnick. I don't know if Arizona has mentioned me to you before…" She said, waiting for the other woman's reaction.

Barbara froze. Of course she had heard about Eliza. Arizona rarely had anything else to talk about. "Arizona talks about you all of the time! You make her very happy! But may I ask why you're calling?"

"Well, if you haven't already seen it on the news…" Eliza trailed off, building herself up to tell her. Realistically, she knew that Arizona would be fine, and that was what she would tell her parents, but she knew that these people had already lost a son. She didn't want to be the one to give them bad news. "There has been an explosion at the hospital."

She didn't get much more information out before Barbara burst out crying, her mind automatically thinking the worst. Eliza could hear the gentle voice of whom she assumed to be Daniel, Arizona's father, trying to calm her down, and there were a few muffled noises before the much more calm, stern voice of Daniel Robbins spoke through the phone.

"Eliza. What happened?"

Eliza felt her heart flutter. She had been nervous to talk to Arizona's mother, but speaking to The Colonel put the genuine fear into her. Arizona spoke of no one higher than she did of her father- the pressure was on to make a good first impression.

"There was an explosion at the hospital, the cause is still unknown. Arizona was on the floor above it and got caught in it. However, she's fine. She's unconscious right now, but she'll be fine. She's being attended to with a steady flow of oxygen and she had some nasty burns on her left arm, but everything is treatable. I wanted to get in touch with you before she regained consciousness, because I know she would try to convince you guys not to come, but truthfully, I think she could use her parents right now." Eliza informed him, and there were a few moments of silence before anyone spoke again.

"We'll be on the next flight out."

"I'll look forward to seeing you then, colonel."

"Oh, and Eliza?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Call me Daniel."


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I'm going to rage-type this chapter and completely ignore the events of 13x24. I've decided to turn this into more than a two shot, because, well, I just love Ariliza so much. Thank you, guys, so much for the amazing response. I'll be able to update this, and The First Time Ever, more often, as all my exams are done. Yay!**

 **Also, thank you to our thejcappers for all of the Ariliza fluff all over Instagram to keep me inspired.**

It had been over an hour since Eliza had hung up the phone on Arizona's parents. They had sent their flight details via text message and were due to arrive the next morning. Another, highly awkward, phone call had been made to Callie. Alex Karev had offered take the phone call instead, but Eliza knew that she had to be the one to do it. So, after some awkward pauses, stuttered introductions and brief explanations, Callie and Sofia were also on their way.

Arizona had yet to wake up. Eliza wasn't surprised by this, as there was no telling just how much smoke she blonde had inhaled. Jackson Avery had stopped by to check Arizona's burns- they were mostly second degree, but reached the third degree in some places, therefore a minor surgery was planned to debride the burns and to do a skin graft. There was no nerve damage, much to everyone's relief, so there was no reason why Arizona shouldn't be able to operate as soon as she had healed.

"Have you been checked out yourself?" Meredith Grey asked her as she entered Arizona's room. Eliza was beginning to see the positive side of the familial relationship between the hospital staff- not only did it make them defend each other with an unconquerable vengeance, it also made sure that none of them was ever alone. Eliza had been sitting with Arizona ever since they arrived, and every single doctor from the hospital had stopped by to visit her. She was well liked at Grey Sloan.

Eliza looked down at her hands, which were still covered in soot from her time in the smoke-filled stairwells. "I got some oxygen in the ambulance, but apart from that, no. I feel fine though- my throat feels clear and I'm breathing like a pro."

Meredith stalled for a second, appraising the other surgeon before stepping forward, wielding a stethoscope and smiling sincerely. "I'll be the judge of that. Take a deep breath." She instructed the brunette, and Eliza complied, breathing in slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. It was relieving- the first time she had allowed herself to stop and take a deep breath in a long time. "Update me?" Meredith asked, using her head to indicate towards Arizona, who was lying on the bed, looking peaceful.

"Her lungs are clear, so is her CT and her throat. Dr Avery's going in tomorrow afternoon to debride the third degree burns and do a skin graft. Her, uh, prosthetic is completely totalled, I looked at it myself. I'm pretty sure she has another one at home, so I'm going to go over there soon and get it. I gave her a tetanus jag myself about twenty minutes ago, since her medical records say she hasn't had that renewed." Eliza recited.

Meredith nodded. She knew that she would probably be asked about Arizona's condition, perhaps by a nurse or maybe even a concerned parent.

Eliza cleared her throat. "I, uh, never had the intention of stealing anyone's job or getting anyone suspended. I really didn't." She said with a shaky voice. She decided to tip her toes in the water when it came to having a peaceful relationship with the attendings of Grey Sloan. She could tell that her actions had redeemed her in a lot of people's eyes, but she still felt the need to explain.

"I know you didn't. After all of the stuff this hospital's seen over the last few years, we're all just close knit, fiercely loyal." Meredith stated. "And stubborn." She added as an afterthought.

"You have a village."

Meredith nodded. "Yeah we do."

Just then, both women were distracted from their moment by the increasing of the heart monitor which Arizona was hooked up to. Eliza's head snapped around, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Arizona's eyelids flickering gently, almost as if she were waking up from a deep sleep. Eliza took that moment to marvel in the beauty of her girlfriend- how lucky she was to have convinced such a great woman to get drinks with her.

"I'll leave you two alone." Meredith said quietly, although she wasn't sure Eliza heard her, as the brunette surgeon was so intently focused on Arizona.

"E-Eliza?" Arizona croaked. Her throat felt like it was on fire. She could feel a dull pulsating in her temple and she squinted to try to get rid of it. She took in the sight of Eliza gratefully, doubting she'd ever loved a sight more than this.

"I'm here baby, I'm here." Eliza assured her, kissing her forehead gently. "Water?" She offered, grabbing the jug from the tray next to the bed. Arizona nodded furiously, desperate to tame the flames clawing their way up her throat. She took a sip of water and sighed in relief. She relaxed into the pillows of the bed, scouring the walls of the unfamiliar hospital room.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"At Seattle Pres. There was an explosion at Grey Sloan. You were caught in it." Eliza explained softly, her right hand holding Arizona's uninjured hand while her right stroked the blonde surgeon's hair gently. Arizona closed her eyes, remembering her time in the smoke-filled halls. She leant heavily into Eliza's hand, glad for the touch.

"I thought…" She trailed off, looking up to the ceiling, trying to fight off tears. "I thought I would never see you again." She confessed, unable to stop a few tears that escaped the corners of her eyes. They left silver tracks on her face, each a map of both pain and of relief.

Eliza didn't say anything more, but instead wrapped her arms tightly around Arizona, burying her face in the blonde curls which she loved so much. She breathed in her favourite smell- of the lavender shampoo Arizona used frequently. The smell was comforting to her, even if it was contaminated by smoke.

After a few minutes, a sharp pain in her left arm caught Arizona's attention, and she drew back, only then noticing the heavy bandaging. She gave Eliza a questioning look.

"You burned your arm, most likely it came into direct contact with flames, due to the extent of the burns. They're mostly second degree, but third degree in some places. Avery doesn't suspect any nerve damage, but there's a surgery scheduled tomorrow to debride them." Eliza told her.

"And my leg?" Arizona prompted her, recalling the way the metal that replaced her left leg had been twisted out of shape.

"Prosthetic is completely totalled. I was waiting for you to wake up before I went to your place to get the other one." She explained. Arizona nodded. "There's something else." Eliza began, her voice growing softer. Her relationship with Arizona was new and she wasn't sure if she had crossed a line by calling not only her parents but her ex-wife. However, she reminded herself that it was the right thing to do and continued. "Callie's going to be here tomorrow, with Sofia. I also called your parents."

Arizona was delighted at the thought of seeing her baby girl again, but the thought of the worry her parents must be experiencing put a frown on her face. "You didn't need to call my parents. They don't need any more worry."

Eliza pressed her forefinger softly to Arizona's lips in a shushing motion. "You know as well as I do that they'd kill you if you didn't call. You need your people."

"I would have phoned them." Arizona insisted. "It's just that they've had enough to worry about. With Tim… It was so hard to tell them about the plane crash."

"How about you stop worrying about them and look forward to seeing them." Eliza suggested, which won a smile from Arizona.

"I do miss them. It's been ages since I've seen them in person."

Just then, Andrew DeLuca came walking in, holding what Arizona recognised to be her spare prosthetic. Maggie followed closely behind him, night bag in hand. Arizona squinted towards the door but quickly averted her gaze when the bright light assaulted her eyes. "Maggie and I stopped by the house. They're not letting anyone into the hospital otherwise I would had gone to your office."

"We didn't want to intrude or anything… We just thought…" Maggie began to ramble, but Arizona cut her off with a smile.

"Thank you guys, so much. I really appreciate it." She said sincerely. The thought of being mobile put her slightly at ease.

"It's Dr Minnick here that you should thank." Andrew piped up. "She only went running into a burning building for you."

Arizona's head snapped up. "You what?" She asked Eliza, who suddenly became very interested with the pattern-less ceiling.

"We're leaving." Maggie announced awkwardly, dragging Andrew by the arm and pulling him out of the room. Once they reached the hall, Maggie turned to Andrew with a half amused, half condescending smile. "I don't think she knew about that part yet." She said, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Andrew smiled back. "Woops." He said, before looking apprehensively through the transparent doors to Arizona's room. "I just hope she's okay. I don't know much about what happened, but she was alone in the fire. She still has nightmares from the plane crash, I hear her at night. She doesn't need this too."

Maggie's eyes widened. "She always seems so perky and happy."

Andrew exhaled slowly. "Yeah, well… I think it's because Sofia's gone. I'm glad she has Eliza, even if everyone hates her. At least she's not alone anymore."

Maggie sighed, a feeling of newfound respect for the blonde paeds surgeon building in her chest. "We should all put more effort into letting her know she has people here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in the room, Arizona was staring at Eliza fiercely, unable to believe the words that Andrew had just spoken. "You ran into a burning building? For me?" She asked, her eyes welling up. In that moment, she was overcome by love for the brunette beauty sitting beside her.

"Kinda." Eliza admitted.

"You're an idiot." Arizona said, before smiling. "But I love you." She admitted. She then realised that this was the first time she had said it out loud to her girlfriend, and she found herself slapping herself internally for waiting so long.

"I love you too." Eliza said, and both women slipped into a brief silence, taking in the relief, heat, and joy of the moment. "Now you, rest. You've been through quite the ordeal. And from what I've heard about your firecracker of a daughter, you're going to need the energy."

"You're amazing." Arizona smiled, the exhaustion finally setting in as her eyelids began to droop. She suspected the pain medication was behind the omnipresent grogginess she was experiencing. She closed her eye obediently and almost instantly fell into a peaceful slumber.

The night passed relatively uneventfully. The haunting story behind the real cause of the fire had finally reached the couple's ears- the tale of how Stephanie Edwards had been alone with a rapist and caught in the fire with a six-year-old girl was one that left both surgeons speechless. For the first time in their lives, the doctors at Grey Sloan were glad a patient was dead-burned to a crisp, as Ben Warren, who had seen the remains of the body, had described it.

The lights were dimmed in the room in which Arizona was situated. The blonde surgeon remained unconscious, the events of the day plus the pain meds taking their toll on her. Eliza, ever so loyal, had stayed determinedly beside her girlfriend's bed in a steadfast vigil, refusing to let her eyes wander away from the sleeping beauty. It was only when she got an email from Barbara Robbins, who had paid for in flight WiFi, saying that their flight was about an hour out, did she eventually stand up and leave the room.

"I'm going to pick her parents up from the airport." Eliza told Alex, who had been loitering outside most of the night. "Can you sit with her?"

"Sure." Alex agreed easily. "What time does Torres's flight get in?"

"I'm not sure." Eliza admitted. "She said something about taking her father's private jet and getting a taxi here. She told me I didn't have to worry about picking her up." She said. She and Alex bid their goodbyes and Eliza set off for the airport, an aura of determination taking over her.

' _You got this, Eliza. They're lovely people. They made Arizona, they can't be that bad._ ' She told herself the whole way there, yet the words she used to comfort herself only set her more on edge. They were lovely people who raised an amazing human being- they deserved her utmost respect, and Eliza was nervous about conveying that respect effectively.

Of course, SeaTac airport was completely flooded. As the end of May drew closer, vacations started and schools ended for the summer. Sofia's summer vacation started in two weeks- Eliza knew that it was thirteen days exactly, because Arizona had been counting down the days until her little girl was home with her. Eliza was nervous about meeting Sofia, because it was her opinion that mattered most to the brunette. However, despite her nerves, she was excited for all of the things they had planned- Arizona had days planned out packed full of trips to zoos and museums and ice cream shops. Her excitement was contagious and Eliza found herself counting down the days along with her.

She wasn't sure if Arizona had mentioned her to Callie. Eliza wouldn't want to overstep and just presume that her girlfriend's ex-wife was okay with her meeting Sofia. Arizona had briefly mentioned that she planned on having that conversation with her, but times at the hospital had been crazy recently, as they always were, and Eliza wasn't sure that she had ever gotten around it. However, whether Callie knew about her before or not, she knew her now. She hadn't appeared shocked or even upset over the phone. So, Eliza decided to look on the positive side and look forward to meeting both Callie and Sofia.

Making her way through the busy crowds, Eliza marked down the terminal that she was heading to. Once she found the terminal, the situated herself right next to the gate, tapping her foot impatiently. She kept her eyes glued to the automatic doors, which in roughly ten minutes, Barbara and Daniel Robbins would walk through. The only time she looked away was when a text from Arizona came through to her phone.

 _Hey pretty lady. Jackson just came by to debride the burns a little bit so that there's less to do in surgery. Stung like a bitch but went well. Hope meeting my parents goes well- remember to relax. I love you so they'll love you. - A_

Eliza smiled down at her phone, completely in awe of how strong and caring her girlfriend was. She was just about to hit a reply when the glass doors slid open and out walked who Eliza recognised to be Arizona's parents. They looked around confusedly for a second before Eliza realised that the two people had never met her before and would have no idea what she looked like. She raised her hand in the air.

"Mr and Mrs Robbins!" She called out, and the older couple spun around to face her. Barbara's face broke into a smile and she rushed forward to Eliza. Daniel, however, remained stoic and followed at a slower pace, not holding back in obviously appraising Eliza. "I'm Eliza Minnick. It's lovely to meet you." She introduced herself, holding out her hand to Barbara first. She was pleasantly surprised, however, when the older woman pushed her hand away gently and instead pulled her into a hug.

"We hug in this family, dear. And besides, anyone who makes Arizona happy deserves a hug." She said with a warm smile. Looking back on it, Eliza wasn't surprised that Barbara had hugged her- Arizona had to have gotten her warm, huggy nature from her. Eliza turned towards Daniel, who terrified her more in person. Although they had gotten off to a good start on the phone, she still found herself wracked with nerves.

"Colonel, it's nice to meet you." She said, holding her hand out. He shook it gladly, a half smile playing on his lips, a rare occurrence for him, especially in front of his daughter's girlfriend that he just met. However, Daniel knew that Eliza was different. She had the balls to call them up without ever meeting them before all to make sure that Arizona had people around her during a hard time. He knew that Arizona's wellbeing was at the forefront of her mind, as she was able to cast any nerves aside for the sake of her girlfriend.

"I thought I told you to call me Daniel?" He asked, smirking. Eliza breathed a sigh of relief. She took Barbara's bag from her and slung it over her shoulder before leading them out of the airport. On the way to the car she updated them on Arizona, who no doubt was waiting anxiously for them to return.

"So what is it you do, Eliza? Arizona said you were a doctor, too." Barbara asked once they were seated into the car. Eliza switched the engine on and pulled out of the parking space.

"I'm an orthopaedic surgeon, I work with bones." Eliza explained. "I'm also certified in sport science."

Barbara nodded. "And do you have any kids?"

Eliza shook her head firmly. "No, ma'am. Never found the right person, I guess. But I'm looking forward to meeting little Sofia."

Barbara smiled proudly at the thought of her granddaughter. "Oh yes, Sofia. She's a pure ray of sunshine, just like her mama." She paused. "Would Arizona be the right person for you? In the future, I mean."

Eliza smiled. "I think so… I know so. When the time comes, yes, I imagine there would be more grandbabies for you." She replied with a smile on her face. She and Arizona had never actually discussed having kids, because their relationship was so new, but she was hopeful. She knew that Arizona wanted Sofia to have siblings. The thought of a mini Arizona running around the house made her smile widely.

Barbara took a minute to consider the answer, feeling her heart swell with happiness. She was loving Eliza more and more by the second. "Arizona never used to want kids. After Tim died, I thought that our hopes of grandbabies were over. But then one day, she phoned us up, telling us all about the situation with Callie and Mark, and how she had heard Sofia's heartbeat. I could tell she was completely in love."

"She loves that little girl so much." Eliza agreed.

It didn't take long for them to get back the hospital. Arizona, as expected, was thrilled to see her parents. She greeted them both with a bone-crushing embrace. A few tears were shed as Barbara and Daniel were reunited with their daughter for the first time in too long.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. All four people in the room whipped around to be pleasantly surprised. Callie was standing in the doorway awkwardly, holding Sofia's hand. Sofia was dressed in a long sleeved white t-shirt with pale purple jeans on. Her hair was hanging loosely around her face. Arizona stared in shock for a few moments, before smiling brighter than Eliza had ever seen her smile before. She held out her arms to her little girl who went catapulting into her mother's arms.

"Mama! I missed you so much!" Sofia exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck and holding on for dear life.

"I missed you too, baby girl. So much." Arizona said through tears of happiness. She released her daughter from her grasp and held her out at arm's length, examining her closely. The pain in her arm was the least of her worries as she took in every single feature of Sofia's face, the freckle on her left cheek just below her eye or the scar on her chin from an over enthusiastic game of tag. 2You've grown so much." She commented.

Sofia giggled and rolled her eyes. "Duh, mama, I'm six."

Arizona laughed at her daughter's antics. "Oh yeah, how silly of me. You're practically an adult now."

A few more minutes passed, full of laughter and catching up. Arizona turned to Eliza, who had been watching the scene unfold intently, revelling in the chance to see Arizona interact with Sofia. "Sofia, do you remember me mentioning my friend Eliza?" She asked Sofia, who turned around to smile at the brunette surgeon.

"Your _special_ friend, mama." She commented.

"Hey, Sofia. I'm Eliza." Eliza introduced herself in a soft voice, making eye contact with the little girl. Sofia was quiet for a few seconds, before she jumped off the bed and ran over to hug Eliza's legs. Eliza, although surprised, gladly hugged the little girl back.

Two hours later, Arizona was being wheeled up to surgery. It was a minor surgery, and Arizona knew it, but she was still on edge. The last time she had woken up from a surgery she had found out that more than half of her left leg was missing. And from that moment on, she had experienced her marriage crashing and burning. She had to relearn how to walk again- it had been the hardest time of her life.

"You okay, sweetie?" Eliza asked her. By this point, Barbara, Daniel, Callie and Sofia had stayed behind in the waiting room. Eliza was yet to have a proper conversation with Callie, but it was the last thing on her mind. She looked down at Arizona, a reassuring smile on her face. Jackson was pushing the gurney along the hallway, accompanied by April who, although she wasn't needed, insisted upon observing the surgery. Although this wasn't their hospital, all the doctors from Grey Sloan had been given privileges.

"The last time I had surgery I woke up without a left leg. I'm just a little nervous." Arizona admitted with a small laugh, trying to play it off, but Eliza could see that the blonde surgeon was genuinely really anxious. She asked Jackson to stop wheeling the gurney for a second and he complied, turning away from the two people and pretending not to listen.

"Do you know what your mom asked me on the way to the hospital?"

"What?"

"She asked me about kids. Our kids. If we ever planned on having any." Eliza told her, a smile growing on her face.

"And what did you tell her?" Arizona asked, the intonation of her voice conveying her surprise. The thought of her and Eliza's babies made her smile widely. Eliza saw the hope in her girlfriend's eyes growing and it melted her heart.

"I told her that I knew you were the one. I told her that, yes, when the time comes, I could imagine dozens of little Arizonas and little Elizas. That Sofia would make an amazing big sister." Eliza said, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. "So instead of thinking about the last time you came out of surgery, think about all of little tiny humans. Okay?"

Arizona nodded, brushing tears from her eyes. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you too." Eliza told her, kissing her girlfriend's forehead softly. "I'll see you on the other side, okay?"

"Okay." Arizona said, and Eliza beckoned for Jackson and April to start pushing the gurney again. When they reached the red line that indicated that Eliza couldn't go past that point, she gave Arizona a kiss, nodded appreciatively to Jackson and April, and went to join Arizona's family in the waiting room.

"They're taking her in now. It should only take a few hours, four tops." Eliza explained, mostly for Arizona's parents. Jetlag was slowly catching up to Sofia and she was gradually nodding off, and Callie, being a surgeon herself, already knew this information.

"And how does the surgery work?" Daniel asked. Knowing the details, the exact plan, seemed to calm him down, Eliza noticed.

"Okay so first, they'll go into what they call the donor site. In this case, because some of the burns are more severe, it will be the abdomen. They'll take all the layers of skin that they require from there and put them on the burns on her arm where the burns are. Over the next 36 hours the donor skin will start to grow over the burns."

Daniel took a moment to process the information. "Sounds… simple."

Eliza nodded. "It is, sir. You don't have to worry. She's going to be fine."

Callie watched the whole scene intently. It was bittersweet to see someone else making Arizona happy. It was bitter because she was sad to see that her ex-wife had completely moved on and had found someone that made her happier than she had been in her marriage to Callie, at least towards the end, anyway.

However, it was more sweet than bitter. It made Callie happy to see Arizona find someone she loved. She had Penny back in New York and things were going smoothly. The year of the Preminger Grant was almost up and Callie was looking forward to reuniting her daughter and her other mother. And plus, she was beginning to like Eliza. It was clear that the other orthopaedic surgeon made Arizona happy, and Sofia really liked her, too.

"She'll be okay." Barbara said to Daniel, nudging his shoulder with hers and taking his hand.

"I know she will." He said. Everyone in the room agreed and sat back, waiting for the surgery to be done.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking Through Fire chapter 3

 **Sorry guys for not updating- I wish I had an excuse, but I don't. And I realised I didn't, so I bought a big tub of Ben and Jerry's and binge wrote this. I love this story, I love Ariliza. Thanks so much for the amazing response!**

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Jackson Avery walking over to the waiting room. They had spent the last three hours talking amongst themselves, letting their conversations mainly revolve around Arizona. Eliza took great pleasure in hearing many embarrassing stories from her girlfriend's childhood, and she knew that Arizona would likely kill her parents if she ever found out that they shared them. Jackson walked towards them, a smile growing on his face.

"Everything went fine. The burns are completely debrided and the skin graft is attached. There's no reason why she can't be discharged tomorrow." He said proudly. He had taken extra time on the surgery, intricately stitching each and every suture, debride every cell of dead skin.

"Oh, thank God." Eliza sighed, relief flooding every part of her body. Barbara and Daniel turned around to face her. Callie had eventually caved and taken a sleepy Sofia back to their hotel, making them all promise to update her as soon as they heard anything.

"You seem awfully relieved for someone who was so certain it was going to go well." Barbara commented with a small smile. She had Daniel's hand tightly in hers, thanking God that their baby was safe. It was hard, in the face of their bad luck when it came to the lives of their children, to remain hopeful and to not freak out.

"It seemed like the world was being too good for me for once. An amazing girlfriend, a slowly becoming great job, and my girlfriend's amazing family. I'm not used to this amount of perfect all at once." Eliza admitted, feeling herself tearing up. She wasn't an emotional person- in fact, the thing people either admired or hated the most about her was her lack of shown emotion. Compartmentalising had become her forte and she was used to it being that way so much that the tears in her eyes surprised her.

"Who knew you could be such a sap." Jackson piped up, holding out his hand to her. "Truce?" He offered simply. Eliza nodded her head firmly and shook his hand.

"Truce." She agreed.

"Can we go see her?" Barbara asked hopefully. Jackson nodded and indicated for them to follow him. On the way to Arizona's room, Eliza made a quick phone call to Callie letting her know that Arizona was doing okay. With a sigh of relief, Callie told her that she would bring Sofia round later that night, as soon as the littler Latina had rested well enough. Eliza was glad that Callie didn't seem to hate her- more conflict was the last thing she needed.

They all waited patiently around Arizona's bedside for her to wake up, and when, an hour later, she did, they all greeted her with smiles and reassuring words. The relief was evident in the room- each person was glad yet another obstacle had been overcome.

Eventually, Barbara and Daniel declared themselves wiped and decided to head back to their hotel. When Arizona heard that they were staying in a hotel she had protested greatly and tried them to convince them to stay at her place, but the older couple insisted that the hotel room was just fine, and that they wouldn't want to disturb Arizona and Eliza, or Andrew for that matter.

"Plus, you guys will probably have sex. And I don't wanna hear that." Barbara deadpanned. Eliza felt all the blood in her body rush to her face and she buried her head in her hands. Arizona gasped loudly and smacked her mother on the shoulder.

"Mother. Leave!" She laughed, giving her mother a swift hug before they left the room. Once they were gone, Arizona and Eliza both broke out in to fits of laughter. Once they eventually sobered up, they locked eyes and Eliza came closer to Arizona, pressing a gentle kiss to the blonde's lips.

"I'm glad you're okay." She said, before hesitating.

Arizona noticed the Eliza's pause, and frowned because it was most unlike the ortho surgeon to refrain from saying anything. "You're hesitating. What is it?

Eliza bit her lip. "I want you to see a therapist. And I know you probably don't want to, but I'm scared that you'll be fine for so long and then it'll all just hit you. And I want you to actually go, not like Edwards said she did. Because she should have and she shouldn't have even been in the hospital… And I don't want you ending up trapped with a psycho patient or in another explosion-" Eliza kept rambling until Arizona cut her off.

"Okay."

"And-what?"

Arizona let the corners of her lips turn upwards in a slight smile. The idea of therapy was not something the liked. She had sat and talked about her feelings to a person taking notes too many times in her life for her liking. The last time she had gone near that part of the hospital, it had been the same day that Callie walked out of the room. Away from her. Away from their marriage. However, she knew that it was a good idea, no matter how opposed to it she was.

"If I'm being honest, I don't want to. But you're right. I never went to therapy after the plane crash and I ended up a mess… Maybe all that can be avoided this time." She said cautiously. She never thought that she would make it through all of the plane crash mess. Every day seemed like a war, with no way to move past the constant dark cloud that hung above her head. But she kept going, day by day, breath by breath, until one day she realised smiling was becoming easier. That her daughter lit up the room whenever she entered. And just like that, she learned to walk again.

Eliza noticed the pain in Arizona's eyes as she talked about the plane crash. It pained her to think about all of the trauma her girlfriend had endured. She didn't know much about the plane crash, other than that they' been trapped out in the woods for four days. Arizona didn't like to talk about it much. She divulged only a few details, normally when she awoke in the night after a tough case or a particularly hard day without Sofia.

"And for the record, I'm glad that you don't want me to get trapped with a psycho patient or caught in another explosion." Arizona added, making Eliza laugh.

"Not just those though. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Or us. Or Sofia. I was so worried yesterday…" Eliza rambled. Arizona scanned her girlfriend carefully, not knowing what to make of Eliza's rambling. Normally, Arizona was the one who rambled in the relationship.

"Come here." She instructed Eliza, indicating for her to come closer. Eliza did as told, allowing herself to be wrapped in Arizona's good arm. She climbed on to the bed beside her, careful not to hurt the blonde.

"I'm sorry, I'm a mess. I'm a doctor- I'm supposed to keep my shit together." Eliza laughed, hurriedly wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

"You're adorable when you're a mess. I love that you care so much."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, Arizona was more than glad to be leaving the hospital. Grey Sloan was due to reopen the next week and she was more than ready to return to work (although not surgeries, due to her arm) as soon as it did. Although she spent most of her days in the hospital, there was a great difference between being a patient and being a doctor. When she was a doctor, she was in control. It was her words and actions that could potentially save someone's life.

"Are you sure you're okay? Do you need more pain meds? What about your leg?" Eliza fretted a she followed Arizona into the house. Barbara, Daniel and Sofia followed them. Callie had told them that she had some important calls to make, just to cover details about her last-minute trip, but Arizona knew that she was purposely staying out of their way, and she couldn't decide whether she was thankful or disappointed.

Arizona laughed at her girlfriend's worried expression. She had come to learn, in the past forty-eight hours, that Eliza, even though she was the more confident one in the relationship and in general, was a worrier. It amused her to see her normally kept together girlfriend fussing over her as if she were a two-year-old and Eliza the new babysitter. "You need to chill." She told the brunette, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine."

Sofia, who had been ever so excited to finally return home with her mama, pulled on Arizona's hand incessantly. "Mama, Grandma says you have to sit down. Cause we made chicken soup." The six-year-old said sternly, making the adults in the room laugh. Arizona did as she was told, collapsing on the couch, dragging Eliza down with her. Sofia, Barbara and Daniel went to the kitchen to retrieve said chicken soup, but they were still within earshot. The whole house was fairly open plan, so that Arizona could get around easily on her crutches, and on the rare occasion her wheelchair.

"Is it even possible for a six-year-old to be so mom-like?" Arizona chuckled as she listened to Sofia tell Barbara about the special tiger bread that was kept in the bread bin and the way Arizona drunk green tea.

"I bet she gets it from you." Eliza commented. Although she had known the little girl for only two days, she could already see the similarities between mother and daughter. Sofia was Callie's carbon copy, no doubt about it, but everything about her personality screamed Arizona. The use of the words 'awesome' and 'super' were common to both Sofia and Arizona. Eliza also noticed that Sofia had the same habit of tapping her hands against her thighs whenever she became excited or nervous.

"I was the one who got her heart started." Arizona revealed. "Callie and I were in a car crash when Callie was twenty-three weeks pregnant with Sofia… I escaped with only minor injuries- a head lac that Karev cleaned up for me- but Callie went through the windshield… and Sofia was born seventeen weeks early. The odds weren't in her favour. But I got her heart started and she fought against all of the odds." She told Eliza, tears welling up in her eyes. Feeling her heart ache, Eliza wrapped an arm around Arizona's shoulder, holding the blonde close to her.

"You saved her life." Eliza told her, smiling softly. Just then, the rest of the group came parading back into the room, carrying trays laden with bowls of steaming hot soup. Both Eliza and Arizona took one gratefully, thanking Sofia and Arizona's parents gratefully.

"Oh my God, this is so good." Arizona exclaimed as she took her first spoonful of soup. "Just like when I was a kid."

"Maybe I can make Pierogi's for dinner." Eliza commented slyly, making eye contact with Arizona, who turned bright red and shot her a stern glare.

"What's a pe-rogy mama?" Sofia asked, scrunching up her face as she tried to pronounce the Polish word.

"They're a food from Poland." Arizona told her daughter. At this point, Barbara turned to Eliza.

"You're Polish?" She questioned. Eliza leaned forward, sensing a full-on background interrogation coming on. However, when it came to her girlfriend and her girlfriend's family, she removed all inhibitions. Well, most of them anyway. Sofia was still there, after all.

"Yeah, partly. My father, Matthew, moved there before I was born and met my mother, Blanka. When I was two, we moved back to America because my father was homesick. I have a little sister, Nadia. We were raised bi-lingual." Eliza informed Barbara, who nodded, impressed.

"I know what bi-lingual means!" Sofia piped up. "It means you speak two languages. I speak English, like mama, but mommy taught me Spanish." She paused, casting a sideways glance at Arizona. "Pero mamá no lo habla muy bien." She added. _But_ _mama_ _doesn't speak_ _that_ _very_ _well_ _._

"Hey! I know that much!" Arizona gasped, faking hurt. Sofia laughed and glanced at Eliza, who luckily for the little girl, also understood what had been said.

"Tienes razón." Eliza replied, winking at the little girl. _You're right._

"Sitting right here!" Arizona interrupted, although she was secretly glad that her daughter and her girlfriend had found their own way of bonding.

The rest of the night passed relatively quickly, and before they knew it, Eliza, Arizona and Sofia were saying goodbye to Barbara and Daniel yet again, who promised to visit the next day. Sofia, worn out from the day, gladly downed her glass of milk before bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. Arizona and Eliza followed her suite soon enough.

"I'm so glad Sofia likes you." Arizona commented, before swallowing the tablet that Eliza had handed her, and rolling up her left pant leg to begin undoing the Velcro straps of her prosthetic. She released the socket with a groan- she really hated this prosthetic.

"Let me help you." Eliza said softly, taking the prosthetic from the blonde and setting it on the floor before climbing back in to bed and starting to gently massage Arizona's leg. "I'm glad she likes me too. I was more scared to meet her than to meet your parents or Callie."

Arizona chuckled. "Six year olds can be surprisingly terrifying. She asked me where babies came from the other day and I was scared to tell her the wrong story." She laughed. "I was super nervous too. I know you hadn't expected to meet her for another two weeks. I was worried you'd freak out or not be ready or something."

Eliza sighed. "I don't think I was ever truly ready. I was freaking out, too. But now that I've met her I'm glad I did."

"You make me so happy." Arizona told her as she pulled the covers up around her face, basking in the warmth of her bed for the first night in a long time.

Eliza smiled down at her. "Told you I would get you."

Arizona scoffed, placing her hand on Eliza's face and pushing it away from her. "I told you! Arrogant!"


End file.
